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Fault reaction, fault isolation, and graceful degradation in a robotic system

a robotic system and fault technology, applied in the field of robotic systems, can solve the problems of system cost increase, redundant components, loss of full control, etc., and achieve the effect of facilitating a graceful degradation of the robotic system

Active Publication Date: 2016-09-20
INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Enables the robotic system to automatically enter a safe state upon fault detection, facilitating graceful degradation and potentially allowing continued operation, reducing unnecessary shutdowns and maintaining system safety and functionality.

Problems solved by technology

Failures or faults may occur in the robotic arms during their operation that result in loss of full control.
Providing redundant components, however, adds to system cost.
However, unexpected faults may still occur.

Method used

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  • Fault reaction, fault isolation, and graceful degradation in a robotic system
  • Fault reaction, fault isolation, and graceful degradation in a robotic system
  • Fault reaction, fault isolation, and graceful degradation in a robotic system

Examples

Experimental program
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Embodiment Construction

[0018]FIG. 1 illustrates, as an example, a perspective view of a robotic system 1000 that includes a user console 100, a robotic arms cart 110, and a vision cart 170, which communicate with one another through cables 181, 182. The user console 100 includes a stereo viewer 101, hand-manipulatable master controllers 102, 103, and at least one foot pedal 104. The robotic arms cart 110 includes a base 120, a column 121 that is attached to the base 120, and robotic arms 111, 113, 115, 117 that are attached to the column 121 and that are adapted to hold, move and manipulate attachable instruments 112, 114, 116, 118.

[0019]In the example of FIG. 1, the robotic arms 111, 113, 117 hold tool instruments 112, 114, 118 and the robotic arm 115 holds a stereoscopic camera instrument 116. Alternatively, each of the robotic arms 111, 113, 115, 117 may hold a different type of instrument or hold no instrument at all while a work procedure is being performed. As an example, a second image capture devi...

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PUM

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Abstract

A robotic system has arms, arm processors, arm supervisor, and system supervisor. Each arm includes nodes for controlling motors in the arm. Each node, including each arm processor, detects faults affecting the node, places the node into a safe state upon detecting a fault, propagates a fault notification, diagnoses the fault and classifies it, and sends an error message to the supervisor processor. The arm supervisor may detect faults affecting an arm and also perform fault reaction activities. The system supervisor handles the fault as either a system or local fault depending upon its class. For system faults, a fault notification is sent to the arm processors of non-failed arms so that the non-failed arms are placed in the safe state. For local faults, a degraded operation option is provided to a user and if the fault is classified as recoverable, a recovery option is provided to the user.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 61 / 891,960 filed Oct. 17, 2013, which is incorporated herein in reference.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally relates to robotic systems and in particular, to fault reaction, fault isolation, and graceful degradation in a robotic system.BACKGROUND[0003]Robotic systems having one or more user controlled robotic arms are used in many applications. As one example, see U.S. Pat. No. 7,865,266 B2, entitled “Cooperative Minimally Invasive Telesurgical System,” which is incorporated herein by reference. Additional examples may be found in manufacturing, construction, hazardous material handling, and other applications such as those using teleoperation.[0004]Failures or faults may occur in the robotic arms during their operation that result in loss of full control. To avoid such loss, fault tolerant systems may be employed such as those providing tr...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G05B19/418B25J9/00B25J9/16
CPCB25J9/1674B25J9/0084G05B2219/31366G05B2219/40204G05B2219/40205Y10S901/02A61B34/30A61B34/37Y02P90/02
Inventor BURNS, CHRISTOPHER R.FUELLING, VAUGHNTOTH, GREGORY K.PATEL, AKASH
Owner INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS INC